


Perennials

by ForgottenKnight



Category: Naruto
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Feels, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-25 20:03:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20729984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForgottenKnight/pseuds/ForgottenKnight
Summary: Kakashi follows his girlfriend out of curiosity when she says that she has a top secret mission of her own.





	Perennials

**Author's Note:**

> My OC's name is Tsuika Sakusei and for the purpose of this fic she and Kakashi have been together for a while. Also, I don't know everything about Naruto (I'm still catching up) so if there's any inaccuracies or mistakes I apologize.

Tsuika finished towel drying her hair and walked back into the bedroom. She smiled at the sight of her albino shepherd, Nikko, laying in her spot on the bed and cuddled against Kakashi’s side.

She quietly went over to the bed and patted Nikko’s head. He flashed her his heterochromic eyes before huffing and pressing closer to Kakashi. Tsuika moved to Kakashi’s side of the bed where he was still sleeping with the white sheet pulled up so it covered his face below his eyes.

She shook her head and whispered, “Kakashi.” Getting no answer, she tried again. “Kakashi, c’mon.”

The silver haired shinobi didn’t respond.

Rolling her eyes, she leaned closer to him. “Kashi, wake up.”

The sheet covering his face moved as he sighed deeply, but he kept his eyes closed.

“I know you can hear me scarecrow.”

Kakashi opened one eye and looked up at her while he shifted slightly under the bed sheet.

Tsuika gave him a loving look and gently lifted the sheet from his face. “I’m heading out.” She kissed his nose and smiled when he scrunched his face. “Feed Nikko for me before you go do super secret shinobi stuff?”

“Mm hm,” he hummed sleepily. “Where’re you going so early, Tsu?”

“To do super secret Tsuika stuff.” She laughed softly before pressing her lips to the corner of his mouth and pretended not to see the light blush that rose in Kakashi’s cheeks.

She pulled the sheet back over his nose and went to grab her basket. “Try not to be late today. There’s only so many times you can get lost on the path of life.”

“That’s what you think.”

Tsuika pulled on her sandals, opened the front door and looked back at the two people she loved most. “See you later.”

Kakashi raised a hand- his version of a wave- as she blew him and Nikko a kiss, and then shut the door behind her.

***

It was a few hours of walking before Tsuika found herself standing in front of the grave of Nohara Rin.

She hadn’t told Kakashi where she planned on going today because she didn’t want him to know that she’d figured out where it was, nor did she want to face the possible awkward questions he might ask about why she was here.

Tsuika felt out of place, like she was invading a sacred area. In a way she was. Kakashi came here privately and said who knew what to the woman he’d grown up with, who he’d fought with, and who he had killed.

She didn’t know all the specifics of Rin’s death, and she was tentative to broach the subject with Kakashi. What she did know was that some nights Kakashi would startle awake, and half of the time it was with Rin’s name on his lips.

Tsuika glanced over at the other rows of graves and saw that she was alone. She set her basket down beside her and knelt in front of the square gravestone. There were two pots of old flowers on the grave, sticks of incense, and fallen leaves scattered on the stone.

She brushed the stray leaves off the gravestone and removed the wilted flowers from the pots. “That’s a start,” Tsuika muttered.

Opening her basket, she pulled on the gloves she’d brought with her and flexed her fingers. She hesitated and looked around her again to make sure that she was alone.

Tsuika laughed in spite of herself. “I’m sorry, this is weird for me. I was so confident on my way here and now I just…” She took a steadying breath. “I’m Tsuika Sakusei. I’m a friend of Kakashi- well friend isn’t exactly the right word…we’re dating.” Tsuika cleared her throat and tugged at her gloves. “You know what? I’m just gonna talk while I work.”

She turned back to her basket and pulled out the bunches of flowers she’d bought earlier. “I didn’t know what your favorite flowers were, so I hope the ones I picked out are good enough. They’ll bloom every year, so even if Kakashi can’t bring you flowers, you’ll still have these.” Tsuika grabbed a small trowel from her basket and dug the first hole in the ground.

“When I first heard about you, I was jealous. Or maybe envious. Either way, even though I didn’t know you, I didn’t like you.” Tsuika planted the first flower and moved on to dig the next hole. “Stupid, I know, but the idea of a dead mystery woman who the man I loved kept visiting and talking to bothered me. I kept thinking, ‘He can talk to a dead woman about Shinobi business but not me? Doesn’t he trust me? Doesn’t he love me?’”

Tsuika shook her bangs out of her eyes and the ghosts of her dark thoughts out of her head as she finished the first row of flowers. Lining up the next row along the top of Rin’s gravestone, she speared the dirt with her trowel.

“You sounded so strong and amazing…so much better than me. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to live up to you in Kakashi’s eyes. I was angry, possessive. I shouldn’t have been, but I was. But then I heard about what happened to you, what Kakashi did…” Tsuika sniffled. “I’m so sorry: sorry you died like that, sorry he was involved, but you chose it. And…that I understand. You saved people. You were brave- braver than I could ever be.” Tsuika wiped at the tears that had rolled onto her cheeks and chuckled at herself. “Geez- I’m crying over a woman I never met. I’m so glad no one’s here to see me like this.”

Finished with the top row, she moved on to the next one.

“Kakashi’s never gotten over what happened. I don’t expect him to. He has nightmares, and sometimes I hear him say your name when he wakes up. I know it hurts him, so I try not to bring it up, but I want to help him. I’m just not quite sure how to go about doing that. Kakashi doesn’t tell me too many details about his missions. Something about top secret information and my safety. The first part I understand, the second?” Tsuika smiled as she trailed off. “I always give him the opportunity to fill me in though, if he wants. I've always been curious about his missions, and honestly who wouldn’t be?”

Tsuika paused as she finished the row she was working on. “If he needs someone to talk to about that kind of stuff, I’m glad he has you. Someone he trusts. I know he trusts me, it’s just different. I can see the weight of everything he’s done and everything he still needs to do on his shoulders. I try to carry as much of it as he’ll give me, but if he can lighten that load so to speak even more by coming to you, then I’m glad. He’s better for it, and seeing him look less burdened is enough. I don’t need to know everything.”

She set up the last row and kept digging.

“I hope this doesn’t sound too forward, but I realized something: we’re alike. Well, as alike as I can figure with what I know about you and myself. We’re both devoted to people we care about, willing to fight for them or beside them, and we both managed to leave an impression on an otherwise unfazeable ninja,” she said, smiling. “And perhaps the biggest thing we have in common is that we both love him.”

Tsuika laughed, “He’s such a dork. He’s always reading _Make-Out Paradise_, he made up a hilarious- if childish- taijutsu called One Thousand Years of Death, and his summoning dogs are the cutest things even when they’re attacking people. And to see Kakashi training with his students…it’s something else. He acts like he doesn’t like them, but he loves those kids. And he’s funny. His dry humor gets me every time. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled so much around anyone before.” She set down her trowel after planting the last flower and flexed her fingers. “I don’t think he realizes how lovable he is.”

Reaching back into her basket, Tsuika pulled out the cut flowers she’d also brought with her and divided them evenly between the two pots.

“Kakashi is the strongest, bravest, smartest, and most perceptive person I know. I’m constantly in awe of him and what he can do, not to mention the stories that I hear about him. Every time I think he can’t get anymore badass he always does, without fail. And I love him…I really really love him. Guy thinks I’m nuts,” Tsuika laughed again thinking back on Guy’s reaction when he found out she and Kakashi were seeing each other.

She brushed off any stray dirt from Rin’s gravestone with a small cloth. “I now find myself hoping that you’d like me, approve of me. Maybe we’d even be friends, I don’t know. I wish I could’ve gotten the chance to find out.” She let her eyes wander over Rin’s grave, now cleaned off and bordered on all sides with flowers.

Tsuika pulled off her gloves and packed her things back into her basket. She carefully relit the incense stick and placed her hand lightly on the cool, grey stone. “I’ll take good care of him. You’ve got my word on that.”

She pulled her hand away, picked up her basket and stood up. She brushed off her clothes, careful to not get any dirt or grass on Rin’s grave.

“It was an honor to meet you,” Tsuika said, bowing. She took one last admiring look at Rin’s gravestone, smiled softly, and walked away.

***

Kakashi watched Tsuika leave the cemetery from his spot up in the trees nearby. His hand ached from how hard he was gripping the branch above him.

He’d been taking the scenic route to meet up with Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke when he saw Tsuika heading for the cemetery. He hadn’t planned to eavesdrop on her; he was just curious as to what she was doing there. After finding a suitable spot in the trees where he knew Tsuika wouldn’t see him, he realized whose grave she was standing in front of. His curiosity was beyond piqued.

She knelt down and started cleaning off the gravestone, and Kakashi had crouched down on the tree limb he’d been standing on. Then Tsuika started talking. She introduced herself, mentioned him, and pulled flowers from the basket she’d left the house with.

Kakashi had been leaning forward to get a better look at what Tsuika was doing and had nearly fallen out of the tree when he saw the flowers. He’d grabbed the branch above him to steady himself, his razor sharp focus solely concentrated on Tsuika and her task.

With every word that came out of Tsuika’s mouth Kakashi told himself to leave and let her have this private moment without any onlookers, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. She was revealing so much that he didn’t know: her anger toward Rin, her feelings of inadequacy, and that she knew at least the basics of Rin’s death. She also knew more about his nightmares than he had hoped, and wished he’d confide in her more. Her admissions made a pang of guilt radiate from his chest.

But then her words turned sweet, and most of them were about him. She could tell how proud of his students he really was, thought he was funny, called him lovable, smart, brave, strong…Kakashi’s heart beat faster with every praise she gave him, and it nearly stopped when Tsuika had said she was in awe of him and his skills. She loved him- he knew that- but this…

If he wasn’t surprised by what she’d said already, he was when she said she’d want Rin to like her, or hoped they could’ve been friends. After Tsuika packed her things, promised to take care of Kakashi, and left, he jumped down from his hiding spot and made his way over to Rin’s grave.

Kakashi had to give Tsuika credit, she did a wonderful job.

“I’m sorry it’s been a while. I’ve been meaning to come. That’s her, the one I’ve told you about. She...reminds me of you. Kind of.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Loyal, smart, stubborn, not afraid of a fight. Tsuika believes in me, sometimes against all logical reason. And…she loves me.”

He cleared his throat and put his hands in his pockets. “She’s a healer of sorts. Not in the sense that she can use medical ninjutsu like you could, but she helps, whether she realizes it or not. I’m…happy with her. Not something I thought I’d be allowed to feel.

“Tsu helps me be more than just a shinobi.” Kakashi felt his cheeks warm and he shifted awkwardly on his feet.

He let the following silence stretch on, closing his eyes and tipping his head back so he could feel the sun on his face. A breeze gently ruffled his hair and Kakashi took a deep, steadying breath. He smiled to himself and looked back down at Rin’s gravestone.

“Told you you’d like her.”

Kakashi lingered for a few minutes before leaving to go meet with his students.

***

The sun was just starting to set when Kakashi walked through the front door. Nikko perked up from where he was laying on the floor and hurried over to meet him. Kakashi crouched down and buried his fingers in Nikko’s thick white fur.

“Hey boy,” Kakashi said while scratching Nikko’s head. “Miss me?” Nikko licked his cheek before Kakashi stood up and took off his sandals.

“Welcome home scarecrow!” Tsuika called from the kitchen.

Kakashi headed toward the sound of her voice, his mind going back to what he’d seen her do. He hesitated in the doorway of the kitchen while Nikko shuffled past him to lay down near Tsuika’s feet. Kakashi watched Tsuika move around as she finished preparing dinner: her fingers sometimes tapping along to a beat in her head, how she’d raise herself up onto her tiptoes, and the way she spun the spoon in her hand. He debated whether or not to tell her that he knew where she went today, or that he knew because he’d followed her, watched, and listened.

“How’d the kids do today?” she asked over her shoulder. “I hope Naruto and Sasuke weren’t at each other’s throats too much. That rivalry of theirs is going to make one of them do something absolutely crazy one day, just you wait. You weren’t late again were you?”

Kakashi evaded her eyes when she glanced back at him.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Tsuika shook her head. “You’ll have to show me this path of life you keep getting lost on sometime. It must be pretty great if it’s able to distract you of all people.”

She turned and smiled brightly at him. Kakashi felt a little like he’d gotten the wind knocked out of him. All her sincere words of admiration echoed in his mind as he looked at her. He studied the curve of her smile- the one that she always gave him seemingly without fail- and the faint crinkles in the corner of her eyes. She was looking at him like she loved him with every breath she took: effortless and ingrained.

Tsuika tilted her head curiously at him, her smile faltering. “You’re quiet, and staring.”

Kakashi blushed and hoped she wouldn’t notice, or maybe that she would. He didn’t know which he wanted. He caught sight of a smudge of dirt on her dress she’d missed from the cemetery and quickly looked away.

She turned the stove off and set down the spoon in her hand. “Everything alright Kakashi?” Tsuika turned her full attention on him and stepped a little closer, her eyes searching his face for the answers he wasn’t giving. He hadn’t stopped staring at her since he showed up in the doorway, and his silence was starting to worry her.

He wasn’t sure how to answer, so he didn’t say anything.

“Did something happen? Are the kids-” Tsuika stopped short when Kakashi wordlessly pulled her into a hug. Usually it was her who initiated hugs, but she wasn’t about to complain.

He gripped her securely against him and closed his eyes. Tsuika slowly wrapped her arms around his waist and settled into his chest. She could hear his heart pounding through his vest, but before she could even think to say anything, she felt his hand tangle itself in her hair.

Kakashi pressed his nose into her hair, and breathed deeply the smell of wind blown trees, the warmth of the sun, a bit of Nikko, something unmistakably floral, and home. Like a balm, he let her presence sooth him until he felt his heartbeat slow back to normal.

“Bad day?” Tsuika asked, her voice muffled.

He shook his head and hugged her tighter. If he was hurting her, she didn’t say. Kakashi wasn’t good at this, not like Tsuika was. He wasn’t sure how to tell her what she meant to him. Nothing he’d read in _Make-Out Paradise_ prepared him for something quite like this. But he had to try, especially given what Tsuika had done today.

“Kakashi?”

“Thank you,” he said finally. She made an inquisitive noise as he took his hand from her hair and pulled away just enough so he could look down at her. He kept an arm around her waist to hold her close. Tsuika removed her arms from around him and placed her hands against his chest as she looked at him quizzically.

Kakashi pulled his mask down and tugged at the material as it bunched around his neck. Tsuika’s grip on his vest tightened somewhat- his unmasked face doing no favors for her concentration- as she waited for him to finish.

He met her patient eyes. “I…It’s nice to come home to the lights on.”

Images of Kakashi having to return to an empty house as a child played in Tsuika’s mind, and she refocused her gaze on the creases in his vest. Though she hadn’t thought about it too much, she understood what something as simple as her being here would mean to him. She never expected him to say so outright. Tsuika still felt weak kneed when Kakashi told her he loved her; with this, she was a little surprised that she was still in control of her basic functions.

When she looked back up at him, her eyes were glassy with veneration. “They’ll always be on for you.”

Her promise- earnest and straightforward- touched Kakashi deeply, as though she’d untangled something within him. He cupped her cheek in his hand and gave her a poignant smile when she leaned into his touch.

“I’ll make sure you never have to-” Tsuika started before Kakashi cut her off with a fervent kiss. She fisted her hands into the material of his vest and yielded to him, her eyes falling closed. If this was the kind of thanks she’d get for making sure Kakashi had a home to return to everyday, then Tsuika would never turn the lights off again.

He pulled away from her too soon for her liking. Tsuika rose up on her toes and tugged at his vest to bring his lips back to hers. Kakashi obliged her, brushing her cheek with his thumb and smiling into the kiss.

When Tsuika let him go, her hands sliding to the nape of his neck so she could bury her fingers in his hair, he smoothed the few stray hairs of hers he’d disturbed.

“You were saying?”

“I was?” Tsuika asked, her eyes a little unfocused. “Hm…I don’t remember now.”

Kakashi chuckled and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

She practically glowed with contentment. “So, good day?” Tsuika offered with a hopeful grin, her fingers carding through his hair and lightly scratching his scalp.

“Yeah,” he muttered, pulling away and smiling fondly at her. “Good day.”

“Care to share over dinner? I’d love to hear about it.”

“That’d be…nice.” Kakashi let Tsuika go, but only after she’d hugged him once more. “There’s a lot to tell you.”


End file.
